Vaccine against hemophilus influenzae infection act hib. Hib vaccine what is it

The widespread practice of immunizing children against Hib infection began in the mid-80s; since 1990, Hib vaccination has been introduced into the vaccination schedule in the USA, Canada and some countries Western Europe. Subsequently, in these countries, children became significantly less likely to suffer from epiglottitis and other very dangerous diseases caused by Hib infection. Today, Hib vaccination is administered to young children in many countries around the world. In Russia, children from risk groups are vaccinated at state expense; parents can get all other children vaccinated for a fee at any medical institution that provides such services.

What is Hib?

The abbreviation HBI is the name of the microorganism Hemophilus influenza type B (Haemophilus influenzae type B). All diseases caused by this pathogen are combined into one group, which I classify as hemophilus influenzae infection.

Haemophilus influenzae type B has a number of features that allow it from the site of primary localization (usually respiratory tract) penetrate the blood and spread throughout the body, provoking the formation of purulent foci in different organs– brain, lungs, joints, ears, etc.

Most common clinical manifestations hemophilus influenzae infection are the following acute diseases:

• Purulent.
• Epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis), which leads to the development of croup.
• – inflammation of subcutaneous fatty tissue.
• Sepsis - general inflammatory reaction the body, occurring in response to pathogenic bacteria entering the bloodstream.

All these diseases develop mainly in those children who do not have immunity to Hib. Particularly susceptible to severe forms hemophilus influenzae infection in children of the first two years of life. Only timely vaccination (started at 3 months of age) can protect them. It, of course, does not provide an absolute guarantee: children who have received the vaccine also become infected with Haemophilus influenzae and get sick, but their illness progresses as usual or is practically asymptomatic.

A child can encounter Hib infection anywhere (the pathogen enters the human body from the air - via airborne droplets).

Many people have been carriers and distributors of dangerous Haemophilus influenzae for years, but do not even know it.Important:

Children's groups are especially dangerous from the point of view of contracting hemophilus influenzae infection, so parents, when sending their child to kindergarten, must necessarily vaccinate him against Hib.

Indications for Hib vaccination All children under 5 years of age must be vaccinated with Hib.

Older children, as a rule, already have immunity to hemophilus influenzae infection (since they encountered it at least once in kindergarten or school), so severe forms of the disease are not dangerous for them. This is confirmed by long-term observations of Hib infection: among children over 5 years of age and adults, meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae are extremely rare. However, some groups of children are vaccinated with Hib regardless of age, one can say vital signs . In case of infection with Haemophilus influenzae, they experience the most high risk development of the most severe forms of infection - meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis.:

• Risk groups include children with
• immunodeficiencies;
• oncological diseases;
• serious developmental defects;
• long history of use of immunosuppressants;
• (this also includes babies born to HIV-infected mothers);

asplenia (absence or absolute dysfunction of the spleen). Moreover, in Russia mandatory vaccination

Children from orphanages are susceptible to Hib infection.

Contraindications to Hib vaccination An absolute contraindication to vaccination with Hib is the vaccine or its individual components.

This fact is established by the body’s abnormal reaction to the previous vaccination. A child may be temporarily exempted from vaccination if, at the time of examination, he or she is diagnosed with acute illness or exacerbation of a chronic illness. Such children can be vaccinated with Hib a few weeks after recovery or improvement of their condition. If the illness was not severe (for example,), vaccination is carried out immediately after normalization of body temperature, stool, etc.

To avoid any misunderstandings or undetected diseases that are contraindications to the vaccine, the child must be examined by a doctor before each vaccination.

Hib vaccination schedule

The Hib vaccination schedule is determined by the age at which this vaccination begins:

• If the child 3 months, then Hib vaccination is done together with (often used for this combination drugs, for example, Pentaxim). The next vaccinations are carried out at 4.5 and 6 months, and revaccination at 18 months. The schedule may shift if, for example, the first vaccination is given not at 3, but at 4 months, but in general, for children under 6 months of age, the principle of immunization against Hib infection should be as follows.
• If vaccination is necessary for a child who it's already been 6 months, but not yet a year old, the following schedule is used: 2 vaccinations are carried out at an interval of a month and revaccination a year after the second vaccination.
• For kids from 1 year to 5 years Those who have not previously been vaccinated against Hib are given a single immunization.

Thus, you should not be upset if for some reason the vaccination had to be postponed. The pediatrician will always be able to choose the most suitable and effective vaccination regimen depending on the age of the little patient.

Preparing for Hib vaccination

No special preparation is required. Parents only need to follow the general recommendations:

• Make sure that the child does not come into contact with contagious patients, stay less in closed crowded rooms, etc.
• Do not make sudden changes in your baby's diet.
• Monitor the child's stool (if there is a tendency to do so, take measures for normal bowel movements).

Side effects of Hib

Hib vaccination is easily tolerated by children. In 10% of cases, the following post-vaccination reactions are possible (develop at the site of vaccine administration):

• redness;
• compaction;
• soreness.

An increase in temperature (up to 38 degrees) is less common. You may also experience irritability, tearfulness, poor appetite. If Hib vaccination was carried out with a complex preparation (together with DTP), the reaction to the vaccine may be more pronounced, but this is due not so much to the Hib component as to DPT.

In general, those rare and minimal consequences of Hib vaccination are completely disproportionate in terms of the risk to the life of a child with ailments caused by Hemophilus influenzae. It’s better to lower the temperature once and endure his whims together with your baby than to face such terrible disease like meningitis or sepsis.

How many vaccinations, when and why should a child be given? Why are there more and more of them? What factors are the basis when deciding whether to vaccinate and when is it better to refuse vaccination? Parents must know about this and much more in order to protect their child.

To make the right decision and find the optimal approach to this issue, you must first understand the essence of the problem. Perhaps fears arise unfoundedly and are due to ignorance of the situation. So, if the doctor says that the ACT-HIB vaccination is planned soon, and what it helps with, mom and dad should definitely ask a specialist, and only after that make a decision on whether to have it or not.

Children under five years of age are exposed to Haemophilus influenzae. To protect children from widespread diseases, Hib vaccination has been introduced. The decoding of the abbreviation comes from the Latin Haemophilus influenzae, which means “hemophilus influenzae”, and “B” means its type (variety). There are 6 types in total: a, b, c, d, e, f, but B is the most insidious and dangerous.

Haemophilus influenzae is covered with a capsule on the outside. It serves as a kind of protective barrier against the effects of the body’s protective factors. This makes it difficult to immune cells notice them. If you do not vaccinate your baby, then it is possible that severe forms of disease will occur. Pneumonia, bronchitis, sepsis, acute respiratory infections, epiglotitis and meningitis - all these diseases are caused by hemophilus influenzae infection.

To prevent the child from developing Hib infection, vaccination should be carried out in several stages, that is, according to a certain scheme. The number of procedures depends on the age of the child and his condition at a certain time.

A child should be immunized for the first time at 3 months. Together with the administration of the vaccine against hemolytic infection, DTaP is also administered. Further, it is also introduced in parallel at 4.5, 6 and 18 months.

If you follow all the recommendations and carry out vaccinations according to the schedule, then it is possible to protect a 6-12 month old child from meningitis and pneumonia, which is especially important. With an individual scheme, this cannot be achieved, since the interval between vaccinations should be 1-2 months and the growth of the protective reaction does not have time to gain the required momentum in time. But the child will be protected when entering kindergarten.

After immunization, many parents are confident that their children will not get sick at all. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. The essence of the vaccine is to protect against the aggressive “B” strain of Haemophilus influenzae infection. At the same time, it can be extremely difficult and lead to irreversible processes. The incidence of otitis and bronchitis also decreases.

Sometimes parents are able to skip vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae due to the presence of several vaccination regimens and the question “Hib vaccination for what? "

How older child, the more active the growth of one’s defense against hemophilus influenzae infection. This means that if the first Hib vaccination is given to children over one year of age, the second and subsequent revaccinations will not be required. That is, vaccination involves a single administration.

Adults and children over five years of age have the ability to fight hemophilus influenzae infection. This is because they have antibodies to protect themselves. In this case, the participation of T cells is not required.

Before entering kindergarten, a child must be immunized, since 45% of children under five years of age are carriers of this infection. Children who are not immunized quickly become infected and suffer severe illness.

The need for vaccination is in a simple way transmission of infection: by airborne droplets, through saliva, toys, household items. But treatment is almost impossible, since the capsule prevents the penetration of the antibiotic to fight the infection. Making a diagnosis is also difficult due to the lack of testing material.

Based on the above factors, it becomes clear that vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae is the only method that can be used to protect a child.

It has Act-HIB vaccination side effects, which consist of intolerance to tetanus toxoid. May occur allergic reaction on vaccine components. In this case, its repeated introduction is unacceptable. Sometimes an allergy to pertussis antigen leads to the same reaction to a component of the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine.

Just like any vaccination, it should not be carried out during exacerbations. chronic diseases, at high temperature and when the child's teeth erupt. At this time, the immune system is very weakened.

Immunization usually occurs in 2 injections. One consists of the AADT vaccine, and the second - Act-HIB. But you can avoid two injections by mixing two vaccines in one syringe. This is not prohibited by the instructions for use for both vaccines.

There are also multicomponent vaccines that combine several antigens. For example, “Pentaxim” and “Gexovak” contain vaccines AADT, Act-HIB, polio, and hepatitis B. These vaccines are purified and acellular, which in turn makes them easier for a child to tolerate during vaccination. In rare cases, you may have a fever and mild pain after receiving these vaccines.

Now this vaccination is not given to everyone, but on the recommendation of a doctor or at the request of parents. No one is able to decide for a child, except his parents, whether he needs protection. Therefore, it is worth thinking about this issue in a timely manner and deciding on a vaccination schedule in advance.

Vaccine options

Modern vaccines are chemically linked antigens of the Haemophilus influenzae capsule and tetanus toxoid, which is necessary for the main antigen to produce immunity in children under 18 months of age. The vaccine with the most widespread use in Russia is Act-HIB, produced by the company SANOFI PASTEUR, (France). It should be noted that Act-HIB is the original PRP-T vaccine, which made it possible to achieve major successes in eliminating Hib infection in developed countries of the world.

Single vaccines against hemophilus influenzae are registered in Russia: Act-HIB (conjugated polysaccharide), Hiberix (conjugated polysaccharide), and combined vaccines: Pentaxim vaccine, which includes diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and hemophilus vaccines, and "Infanrix Hexa" (for the prevention of diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, complete with a vaccine against Hib infection).

Principles and purposes of vaccination

Haemophilus influenzae type b is a vaccine-preventable cause of serious illnesses(meningitis and pneumonia) and deaths among infants and children early age.

Vaccination remains the only effective method prevention of Hib infection, which is becoming increasingly important in light of the increasing resistance of the pathogen to antibiotics. Unlike older children and adults, children under 5 years of age, due to insufficient development of the immune system, cannot independently, without vaccination, form adequate immunity to Hib.

By the end of 2013, the Hib vaccine had been introduced in 189 countries. Global coverage of three doses of this vaccine is estimated at 52%. Coverage levels vary widely across regions. In America, coverage is estimated at 90%, while in the regions for Western countries Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia it is only 18% and 27%, respectively.

Good tolerability allows Hib vaccines to be combined and combined with other vaccines in the vaccination schedule and in particular, with DTP vaccines.

Conjugation of the main Hib antigen with a protein molecule made it possible to use the so-called booster effect. In other words, Hib vaccines have a revaccination effect, when repeated administration of the vaccine causes not just a linear increase in the concentration of antibodies, but an increase in their concentration in geometric progression. The peculiarity of the booster effect is that up to a certain stage, with each repeated administration, the multiplicity of the increase in the amount of antibodies also increases. This explains why the primary vaccination course consists of several vaccinations, and subsequent revaccinations are always carried out with just one dose of the vaccine. This is the basis for the basic scheme for the use of Hib vaccines, when 3 vaccinations with a single booster are given as part of the primary course.

Vaccine effectiveness

Current Hib vaccines are very effective. The incidence of all forms of infection in developed countries where routine immunization is carried out has decreased by 85-98%. This can be achieved both through personal protection vaccinated, and due to the effect of collective protection, which is explained by the interruption of the chain of transmission of bacteria by the immunity of vaccinated people. In one of the Russian studies conducted in closed children's groups of the Moscow region, vaccination over the course of a year made it possible to reduce the level of carriage of Haemophilus influenzae from 41% to 3%, reducing the incidence of all pneumotropic diseases (ARI, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.) several times.

The effectiveness of vaccination today is estimated at 95–100%. Numerous trials of polysaccharide vaccines have been carried out in Europe and North America. In particular, clinical trial in Great Britain (1991-1993) showed an 87% reduction in the incidence of meningitis of hemophilic etiology. In Holland, during a similar study, it was recorded complete absence cases of meningitis of hemophilic etiology within 2 years after the start of immunization.

Post-vaccination reactions

Most children have none side effects after vaccination no. There may be a slight increase in body temperature, redness and soreness at the injection site. Reactions at the injection site (redness, thickening) are observed in no more than 5-7% of vaccinated people. Temperature reactions are rare and occur in 1% of vaccinated people. These reactions do not affect the usual lifestyle, do not require treatment and resolve spontaneously within 1-2 days.

Risk of post-vaccination complications

There are no specific complications, but they are possible in people with an allergy to tetanus toxoid.

Contraindications

Exacerbation of chronic diseases, allergy to vaccine ingredients (especially tetanus toxoid), allergic reaction to previous administration of a vaccine to prevent infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib infections). Vaccinations are carried out 2-4 weeks after recovery (remission). For mild forms of respiratory and intestinal infection Vaccination can be carried out immediately after the temperature normalizes.

When to vaccinate?

Vaccination according to the Russian vaccination calendar should be carried out at the age of 3; 4.5 and 6 months with revaccination at 18 months.

Ask a question to a specialist

Question for vaccination experts

Questions and answers

The child received three vaccinations against Haemophilus influenzae at the ages of 3, 4, and 6 months. And they forgot about revaccination. Now the child is already 3 years and 2 months old. And this just became clear. Does it make sense to revaccinate?

Get vaccinated. A single vaccination at your age will completely protect your child from this dangerous infection. The child attends or will attend kindergarten; in an organized group the risk of infection is very high.

We want to vaccinate our 2 year old daughter. 11 months Vaxigrip and combine with Act-Hib vaccine. But my daughter after bronchitis. Available residual cough in the morning and throughout the day. Do I need to get two vaccinations, one month apart? The second vaccination will be due new year holidays. Is it better to install it later or earlier?

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

To be vaccinated, the child must be healthy for at least 2 weeks. Influenza vaccination (if the child has not had the flu and has not previously been vaccinated against influenza) is carried out twice at your age, and can be combined with vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae. Be careful, the flu is already being registered in our country and now there is a risk of contracting this infection, since immunity is developed no earlier than 2 weeks after vaccination.

The child is 3.5 years old and has frequent otitis media. ENT advised me to get vaccinated against pneumococcal infection and Haemophilus influenzae. Is it possible to do these vaccinations at the same time, with one syringe?

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

Vaccinations can be done on the same day, simultaneously. But this is 2 completely different vaccines, which are produced in factory packages in syringe doses and it is impossible and impossible to mix them in one syringe. Vaccines are administered at one time, one at a time, into 2 different areas of the body. At your age, vaccines are given once and are well tolerated.

My eldest daughter was vaccinated with Act-Hib and Pneumo23 and these vaccinations turned out to be useless. Three years later, she became a carrier of Hemophilus influenzae and we were seriously ill with Hemophilus influenzae infection (the eldest daughter, son and I were ill when we were eight months pregnant). Pneumococcus was discovered five months after vaccination, my daughter was very ill, no other pathogen was found. Is there any point in having such vaccinations? younger children, if they didn’t help the older one in any way?

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

The Pneumo 23 vaccine does not prevent carriage of pneumococcus. Only the conjugate vaccine prevents pneumococcal carriage. It is necessary to vaccinate against this infection as early as possible, in our country and in developed countries this is done from 2 months, since the infection is dangerous for young children, and in the absence of vaccination at an early age, the risk of infection increases, it is especially high when visiting organized groups. Therefore, to prevent diseases caused by pneumococcus, as well as carriage, it is necessary to vaccinate a child in the 1st year of life.

It is necessary to take into account which Haemophilus influenzae infection was carried. Since not all laboratories type the pathogen. There are 6 capsular types of Haemophilus influenzae antigens from a to f. The most dangerous subtype is Haemophilus influenzae type b. Rods of this subtype cause the development of a severe infection, and it is against this infection that a vaccine has been created. Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type B does not provide immunity against infection caused by other serotypes of Haemophilus influenzae. Most often, this pathogen causes purulent meningitis, epiglotitis, and otitis media. I don’t think your entire family suffered such severe illnesses. In addition, carriage of the bacterium does not always mean that the individual suffers the infection.

At 8 months The child was vaccinated against pneumococcus and less than a month later she fell ill with pneumonia! Is there a connection between vaccination and disease? Now I’m afraid to get vaccinated against hemophilus influenzae, which was offered to us only at 1 year 10 months.

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

To protect against pneumococcal infection, a young child must be vaccinated at least 2 times in the first year of life and revaccinated after a year, then the immune system is able to cope with pneumococcal infection. A single vaccination does not protect against infection. It was necessary to start vaccinations according to the vaccination calendar at 2 and 4.5 months, and then by 9 months the child would be protected. Also, do not forget that in addition to pneumococcus, pneumonia is caused by other bacterial and viral infections. There is no connection between vaccination and pneumonia; vaccination could cause fever or malaise (restlessness, lethargy) within 3 days, but not acute respiratory infections or pneumonia 1 month after vaccination. Vaccine against hemophilus influenzae type B at 1 year 10 months, the vaccination is carried out once, the child will be protected within 1 month after vaccination.

If after a year a child is mistakenly given the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine twice, is it dangerous? We received the five-component Pentaxim vaccine.

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

The vaccine is safe. Repeated administration of the Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine will not lead to any complications. After 1 year, the vaccine is given once, because the immune system produces a good response and one vaccination is enough for protection, and not because it is dangerous.

Is it possible to put Pentaxim or Infanrixhexa after the first DTP? And we need a second vaccination without hepatitis B and preferably without hemophilus influenzae. Which vaccine doesn't have this? We are afraid to install Russian DTP, because close relatives have serious complications.

Answered by Kharit Susanna Mikhailovna

Pentaxim and InfanrixGexa are combined five and six-component vaccines. Both vaccines contain vaccines against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and Infanrix Hexa also against viral hepatitis IN.

The vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type B is contained in a separate vial; immediately before vaccination, it is introduced into the vial with vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and polio. If the child does not need vaccination against hemophilus influenzae, this component is not administered. According to the instructions Pentaxim or Infanrix Hexa, with hemophilus influenzae infection according to age characteristics Vaccinated once after 1 year of life.

Our expert is the director of the Research Institute of Preventive Pediatrics and rehabilitation treatment SCCD RAMS, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Leila Namazova-Baranova.

Today, parents do not know how scary it is when their baby is sick, for example, with measles - he lies with a temperature of forty and delirious. Or a severe form of whooping cough - coughing to the point of vomiting, it seems that he is about to spit out his lungs... It is only the grandparents of today's children who remember how they themselves suffered from childhood infections. Now almost all childhood infections have been defeated thanks to vaccinations. There used to be a million cases of measles a year. And now there are 27 throughout the country.

Many childhood infections have been defeated, but not all. Hemophilus influenzae type b (abbreviated as Hib infection) still affects almost three million children in the world every year, causing severe purulent diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, as well as some forms of otitis media and arthritis. And about 386 thousand of these three million cases of Hib infection, alas, end in death.

HIB device

Hib infection is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets. That is, a carrier of this bacteria sneezed on a child on a bus, subway, store or in kindergarten - and that’s it, the likelihood of getting sick becomes real. Most often children from six months to 5 years old get sick. By six months, or even earlier, the baby runs out of protection received from the mother, and the body of children under 5 years old is still unable to build immune defense from Haemophilus influenzae.

Hib infection has several features.

The first is that it can be present in the body and for the time being not cause disease. It is believed that from 5 to 15% of children and adults are its carriers; Haemophilus influenzae lives in their nasopharynx and can be transmitted to other people, but the carriers themselves remain healthy. (Moreover, there are more small children among carriers than adults - up to 25%.) But as soon as the child’s body weakens - gets very tired, gets sick with something else, that is, as soon as his defenses decrease, the infection penetrates deeper and causes illness.

The second feature is that the bacterium causes not one, but several various diseases. The most severe of them is meningitis, inflammation of the membranes of the brain. In Russia, Hib infection is the cause of approximately half of purulent bacterial meningitis in children under 5 years of age. According to epidemiologists, every year in Russia from 300 to 1200 children aged from six months to two years become ill with CHIB meningitis. And the most common CHIB disease is pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae is recorded up to 10 thousand times a year. And the worst thing is at least 80 deaths a year from diseases caused by Haemophilus influenzae.

The third feature is that Hib infection, like many diseases caused by bacteria, becomes less treatable with antibiotics the further you go. Bacteria adapt and become resistant to drugs faster than people can invent new drugs for them.

The only way to protect

What to do? Get vaccinated. This is the only effective way to combat Haemophilus influenzae. If you take a map of the world and color in the countries where the Hib vaccine has been introduced into National calendar vaccinations and is considered mandatory, the entire Northern and South America, and Europe, and Australia, and even half of Africa. Vaccination of all children against this infection is already practiced in 133 countries around the world. But, alas, we don’t have it yet. But vaccines against this infection are registered in Russia, so parents who want to protect their child from the risk of getting very unpleasant and serious diseases can do this themselves - vaccinate their child for a fee. In a children's clinic, in a vaccination center, in a pediatric medical center.

It is clear that every mother who looks at the baby’s tiny body worries about how her baby will survive the extra injection, and so they give him so many vaccinations! In fact, the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine can be administered simultaneously with any others. And you won’t need additional injections if you use a combined vaccine against several infections at once: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, including Hib.

Vaccination is best started at three months, the next doses should be administered at four and a half months, six months and one and a half months. But if you realize it later, it’s okay: there are vaccination schedules for children older than 6 months and older than one year.

The injection is given to infants in the thigh, and to children after two years - in top part shoulder There is no need to buy the vaccine at the pharmacy; there are certain storage conditions for it that you may not know. Better to use the vaccine medical institution where you will be vaccinated.

We are all very afraid of adverse reactions that can happen after any vaccination. The child seemed to be cheerful and healthy, but with our own hands we caused his temperature to rise and the injection site to become red and painful. Yes, there are no completely neutral vaccines. The introduction of any of them may cause an adverse reaction. But it normal. The child’s immunity to the infection that causes the disease will not get worse. And some experts believe that it will even become more active. It’s better to endure a rise in temperature for one day and the whims of a baby whose injection site itches than to watch your child suffer from pneumonia or meningitis. God forbid anyone to experience this. By the way, the Hib vaccine is least likely to cause any reactions.

Doctors consider hemophilus influenzae infection to be an underestimated disease that threatens the life and health of young children with a failed immune system. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that up to 80% of the isolated strains of Haemophilus influenzae, which triggers the infectious process, are resistant to traditional antibiotic therapy. Therefore, it is important to protect the child from dangerous disease, and vaccination against hemophilus influenzae infection will help cope with this.

Features of an infectious disease

Haemophilus influenzae infection means a complex infectious diseases, which develop after penetration of Haemophilus influenzae into the body. Infection can occur during personal contact with a sick person and carrier, through household items (shared toys, dishes).

Important! According to statistics, up to 40% of children in kindergarten are carriers of Hemophilus influenzae. Therefore, a child who attends children's groups gets sick more often.

The following forms of the infectious process are characteristic of hemophilus influenzae infection:

• ORZ. The most common form of pathology;
• Inflammation of the middle ear. Haemophilus influenzae is characterized by high resistance to traditional drugs, so it is quite difficult to cure the infection;
• Epiglottitis. The pathology develops mainly in children under 4 years of age and is characterized by sharp increase body temperature, sore throat, pain during talking and swallowing. The disease can cause blockage of the airways and respiratory arrest. Therefore, if epiglottitis is suspected, the child needs urgent hospitalization;
• Haemophilus influenzae respiratory tract infection: pneumonia, bronchitis;
• Meningitis. This infectious lesion of the membranes of the brain is particularly dangerous for children under 1 year of age. The disease is difficult to treat. According to statistics, in 20-30% of cases, hemophilic meningitis leads to death;
• Purulent cellulite. The disease leads to purulent-inflammatory processes in the subcutaneous fat;
• Sepsis. Most dangerous form hemophilus influenzae infection, in which pathogenic agents penetrate the blood and spread throughout the body.

The resistance of the pathogen to antibiotic therapy significantly complicates treatment. Therefore, the optimal way out of this situation is vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection. Only this will minimize the risk of developing serious illnesses.

When is immunization necessary?

• All infants who have reached 3 months of age;
• Organized children attending children's groups ( sport sections, kindergartens, clubs);
• Patients of any age who have severe immunodeficiency (HIV, cancer);
• Elderly people;
• Patients after removal of the spleen;
• Children living in large families or orphanages;
• Infants who are on artificial feeding. In such a situation, the child does not receive antibodies from milk, and therefore cannot resist infections;
• Frequently ill children;
• Babies who were born prematurely.

The peak development of meningitis and pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenzae occurs at the age of 6-12 months. Therefore, it is necessary to get vaccinated against hemophilus influenzae in a timely manner. Vaccination of infants has been mandatory since 2011, the procedure is carried out in district clinics. For children over 1 year of age, immunization helps protect against other types of Haemophilus influenzae infection: acute respiratory infections, otitis media and bronchitis. Vaccination against hemophilus influenzae in adults is only available for a fee.

Types of Vaccines

The vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae is a drug developed on the basis of polysaccharides of the capsule of the pathogenic microorganism conjugated with tetanus toxoid proteins. This makes it possible to convert microbial particles into an antigen, which contributes to the formation of a pronounced immune response. Conjugation also helps reduce the reactogenicity of the vaccine preparation, making it as safe as possible for fragile organism babies.

Important! The vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae has a unique effect, leading to an exponential increase in antibodies against the infectious agent if the drug is administered repeatedly.

The following vaccines against hemophilus influenzae are widely used in Russia:

• Mono-vaccine Act-HIB (manufactured in France). The drug is created exclusively on the basis of Haemophilus influenzae antigens. This vaccine has been used to prevent Haemophilus influenzae infection for many decades and has proven its effectiveness. Therefore, it is widely used to form stable immunity in children under 12 months;
• Monovaccine Hiberix. The vaccine was manufactured in Belgium and is an analogue of Act-HIB. In Russia, the drug has been used for a relatively short time;
• Polyvalent drug Pentaxim. French vaccine will protect the child’s body from 5 serious diseases: polio, whooping cough, hemophilus influenzae, tetanus, diphtheria. However, the pertussis component increases the reactogenicity of the vaccine preparation. Therefore, vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection will lead to the development of pronounced side effects;
• Combined vaccine Infanrix penta. The drug, produced in Belgium, is an analogue of Pentaxim.

Due to their ease of use and effectiveness, combination vaccines are widely used for vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae in district clinics. However, parents have to purchase the vaccine themselves at the pharmacy.

How and where do you get vaccinated?

Haemophilus influenzae vaccines are intended for intramuscular injection. Babies are given an injection in outer surface thighs (quadriceps muscle), children over 1.5 years old are recommended to have injections into the deltoid muscle of the shoulder.

Important! In exceptional situations, vaccination against hemophilus influenzae is allowed to be administered subcutaneously. However, this increases the risk of local adverse reactions.

Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae should be carried out according to the following scheme:

1. For each dose of the drug, 0.5 ml of solvent must be drawn into a sterile syringe. When combination vaccines The lyophilisate is dissolved with a liquid vaccine preparation produced in a syringe.
2. The solvent is introduced into the vial with the lyophilisate, shaken thoroughly until a homogeneous suspension is obtained.
3. The needle on the syringe should be replaced because it may have become dull after piercing the rubber stopper.
4. The injection site is thoroughly treated with an antiseptic, and the vaccine preparation is administered. The prepared solution cannot be stored, so it is used immediately after diluting the lyophilisate.

Immunization schedule

Vaccination against hemophilus influenzae is carried out universally in infancy in the absence of contraindications. The vaccination schedule varies depending on age group patient:

• The first vaccination against hemophilus influenzae is recommended for babies at 3 months. Vaccination is often combined with immunization against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. The next 2 vaccinations are given at 4 and 6 months. Thanks to three doses of the vaccine, the child receives reliable immunity in 95% of cases. After revaccination at 1.5 years, almost 100% protection is formed;
• If vaccinations against hemophilus influenzae infection began after 6 months, then a double dose of the vaccine is sufficient. The interval between vaccinations is 1 month. Revaccination should be carried out 12 months after the last immunization. However, the vaccine is usually given at 1.5 years of age along with DTP;
• For children over 1 year old, it is enough to get 1 vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae. By this age, most children experience pathogenic microbe, so they were able to produce the necessary antibodies. Vaccination allows you to form reliable immunity against Haemophilus influenzae in case of re-infection.

This vaccination schedule allows 95% of vaccinated children to develop reliable immunity, which will last for up to 5 years. Adults are vaccinated against hemophilus influenzae once, because such patients have the necessary antibodies in their bodies.

Side effects and complications

Rarely occur after vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae. adverse reactions, so the drug is often combined with other vaccines. However, some patients note the development of such symptoms:

• Soreness, swelling of the place where the vaccine was administered. Symptoms develop in 10% of children vaccinated;
• Increased body temperature (up to subfebrile values) in 1% of vaccinated patients.

The listed adverse reactions do not require administration medicines, go away on their own 2-3 days after the injection.

If vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae was carried out using a polyvalent drug (Infanrix penta, Pentaxim), then the following symptoms often develop:

• Convulsions;
• Increased body temperature;
• Swelling of the limb where the drug was injected;
• Local reactions: redness, soreness, hardening of the injection site;
• The occurrence of neuritis of the brachial nerve;
• The appearance of skin itching;
• Decreased appetite, nausea.

If immunization is carried out in the presence of an unidentified contraindication, complications develop:

• Development angioedema Quincke, if there is an individual intolerance to any ingredient of the vaccine;
• Existing chronic pathologies become aggravated;
• Development of fever if the child was vaccinated against a background of elevated temperature;
• The occurrence of neurological symptoms due to damage to the central nervous system if immunization was given to an infant with encephalopathy.

However, such cases occur quite rarely, so parents should not refuse vaccination. It is important to understand the importance of immunization for child's body. After all, timely prevention is better than long and painful treatment.

How to prevent the development of complications?

Doctors recommend preparing your child for immunization against hemophilus influenzae. To do this, on the day of vaccination, the patient must undergo a thorough examination by a pediatrician. A week before vaccination, any contact of the child with sick people should be limited.

Also, 3-4 days before vaccination, there is no need to introduce children or mothers into the diet if the baby is on breastfeeding, new products. This will prevent the development of allergies, which may be mistakenly considered as a complication after vaccination.

• Do not leave the clinic premises for 20-30 minutes. This is necessary to provide medical care a child who develops an allergy to a vaccine;
• If the child feels well, then you can go for a walk. However, crowded places should be avoided to reduce contact with infected people;
• After immunization water procedures are not prohibited, but it is better to bathe the child in the shower for the first 2-3 days;
• Do not introduce new foods into the diet for 3 days after immunization.

When should you not get vaccinated?

The following contraindications for vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae are identified:

• A history of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug;
• Acute course of infectious diseases;
• History of convulsive condition;
• Relapse of chronic pathologies;
• Encephalopathy;
• Recorded unpredictable reactions of the child to previous immunization.

If there is even a slight suspicion that the patient has the described problems, vaccination should be abandoned until the condition normalizes.

Pros and cons of vaccination

The number of parents refusing to immunize their children increases every year. Opponents of vaccinations argue that the introduction of vaccine preparations is dangerous for the child’s body and provokes the development of neurological complications and disability.

However, many years of immunization experience have proven the presence the following advantages vaccination against hemophilus influenzae:

• High efficiency. The vaccine provides protection for a child for 5 years in 95% of cases;
• Vaccinations have reduced the incidence of haemophilus influenzae meningitis in children by 87% in the UK. There are completely no cases of this infection in the Netherlands;
• Vaccination can reduce the incidence of illness in a child upon admission to kindergarten;
• In vaccinated children, if infected, the infection is mild.

The listed facts indicate the need for vaccination if the child has no contraindications. It is important to remember that immunization is usually easy. Complications arise only if contraindications are not followed. However, the chances of development irreversible consequences at purulent meningitis much higher. Therefore, doctors recommend warning dangerous infection through vaccination.